Books with Deaf Characters Post 2 – Words in Our Hands
Words in Our Hands by Ada B. Litchfield and illustrated by Helen Cogancherry was in with the third grade books, but it’s really a picturebook with more than the usual number of words. It’s also a bit outdated, being published in 1980.
It’s mostly a fictional character, Michael, telling us about his deaf parents. The only real plot is they move to a new place, following his father’s job. And once there, they attend a performance by The National Theatre of the Deaf and realize there’s a whole community of people who can understand them when they sign.
His parents were both born deaf, and I question the idea that they were deaf because one’s mother had measles when she was pregnant and the other’s was in an accident when she was pregnant. Not that it isn’t possible, but they’re probably lucky they were born deaf and without any more serious problems.
They were both taught how to speak and to lipread, but they also sign. Hence the title of the book. And their hearing kids, three of them, can all sign.
One of the dated aspects is that the kid’s father makes sure to put two rearview mirrors on the car so he can see better when driving. I think two are pretty much standard now.
The book teaches you how to fingerspell the alphabet, and a few signs. A few, totally, completely, random signs. Really. Noon – Face – In – Stand – 10 – Join – Heart – Night. Those are signs kids erm.. love to learn? They make a perfect sentence about er… standing on someone’s heart and making a face? Whereas the ‘peanut butter sandwich’ we also learn, actually comes up in the ‘story’.
And, not much more to say about it really. It’s a ‘now you know more about what it’s like to have deaf parents’ book, not a book innately interesting in itself.
Deaf Characters: Probably 30-something man and woman, married. Both born deaf. Learned to speak, but can also sign.
Relationship to Main Character: Parents
Genre of Book: Mainstream, educational
Age Level of Book: Picturebook, really
